about

Mike Phipps, operating under the Pulse State moniker among others over the years, continues to refine his sound as time moves onward. The Flowers for Mankind EP, released in May 2012, was hailed as a great leap forward for the project in every aspect.

It is now time for the full album, The Science of Despair, to show itself as the next step in this artistic journey. On this album, Mike has broadened his musical and lyrical horizons. While 2008's debut album, With a Single Step, focused on the hopeful and emotional sides of life, The Science of Despair instead chooses to explore the nether regions of society and humanity, past and present. The darkwave and electro-Goth elements are becoming more present than ever before, yet even through all of this, a small hope is allowed to flicker from time to time. Diversity is key across the album's ten tracks, each song sounding different than the others. The listener will find somber darkwave numbers interspersed with melodic EBM/synthpop dance smashers, all tied together with a common thread.

We surely live in times of uncertainty and hopelessness, and The Science of Despair offers a great soundtrack for those times, while still occasionally reminding the listener that there may be a way out.

credits

released 05 October 2012

All songs written by M. Phipps between June 2008 and June 2012.
All songs produced and recorded by M. Phipps at Central Command in April, May and June 2012.
All vocals and vocal recordings by M. Phipps in May, June and July 2012.

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Pulse StateDetroit, Michigan

Pulse State is an electronic music project from Detroit, consisting solely of producer/vocalist Mike Phipps (also known for
his ambient/minimal techno project Saturn Zero). Earlier works were more electro-pop or future-pop; in recent years, the project has taken on some darkwave and dark synthpop influences. Pulse State has released two albums and several EPs/singles....more

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Recently I had a vision
That the world came to an end
Earth had finally had enough
Nothing left to defend

The heat was rising upward
The sky was on fire
The atmosphere was bleeding off
Events we never desired

*To save ourselves, we sent a message
Through the stars it goes on
But by the time someone receives it
We will all be gone

We deserved all that has happened
It's what we always feared
All those chemicals ejected
Into the atmosphere

We were trying to kill ourselves
Refusing any help
For the good of the economy
We suffocate ourselves

Killing ourselves

*To save ourselves, we sent a message
Through the stars it goes on
But by the time someone receives it
We will all be gone

Track Name: Little Strangeling

You look away in violent skies
With your sad and lovely eyes
You wonder how your life could be
Fraught with pain and misery

You are too young for this
You must not surrender
You are too young for this
You must never surrender

*My little strangeling
So lovely, dancing in the night
My little strangeling
So beautiful, moving through black light
My little strangeling
There's so much that you have to learn
My little strangeling
Before the world lets you crash and burn

The night is coming to break your heart
Fractured fractals posing as art
It's not the way, the method's unsound
Like tears in rain to bring you down

But deep inside you have a will
Chaotic good, subversive still
Can you feel love? Do you have worth?
Experience the next rebirth

You are too young for this
You must not surrender
You are too young for this
You must never surrender

*My little strangeling
So lovely, dancing in the night
My little strangeling
So beautiful, moving through black light
My little strangeling
There's so much that you have to learn
My little strangeling
Before the world lets you crash and burn

Don't crash and burn!

Track Name: In Decline

No justice to be found here
Our leaders are all blind

We've razed our sanctuary
Our world is in decline

*The time for peace and love has passed
Now we shall raise our swords
We should take solace in our hopes
Instead we go to war
I have seen enough to know
That the strong are becoming weak
And even the brightest among us
Know not the words they speak

We've razed our sanctuary
Our world is in decline

No light will shine upon us
The stars are out of place

Billions of frightened people
Are drifting, lost in space

No comfort to be found here
In our collective mind

We salt the lands we walk on
Our world is in decline

*The time for peace and love has passed
Now we shall raise our swords
We should take solace in our hopes
Instead we go to war
I have seen enough to know
That the strong are becoming weak
And even the brightest among us
Know not the words they speak

We've razed our sanctuary
Our world is in decline

We salt the lands we walk on
Our world is in decline

Track Name: Faith:Loss

From birth until we all will die
We never find the reason why
We all live alone

We go through partners, loves and friends
And still we cannot comprehend
Do we live alone?
Souls without a home?
Hearts as cold as stone?

*Faith loss
No cost
Faith loss
No cost

What is the reason we were placed
Upon this vast green planet's face?
Was it just to be alone?

Or do we share the universe
With others that have lived here first?
Or are we still alone?
Souls without a home?
Hearts as cold as stone?

*Faith loss
No cost
Faith loss
No cost

Track Name: Life: Accelerate!

Wake up in the morning to see the burning sun
Terror in the skies, destroying everyone
We're the victims of illusion, society collapse
Sinking in the shadows, the coldest relapse

Take your anger to the streets, hear the people shout and cry
We exist to live our lives and we're not afraid to die
The thunderstorm is rising and it cannot stay sedate
Kill the emptiness inside... life accelerate!

*We will look up at the light within the sky
As the wind comes down and wants to take us high
Through the changing atmosphere
Where we shall have no fear
Where the frozen ground is far beneath our feet
We will move along towards a brighter beat
'Till the day that we all die
We look into the sky

See the darkness rising, the world is growing cold
But we light the flames of change, take arms and start revolt
The enemy is strong but we'll overcome somehow
Hear the rallying cry... revolution now!

There is fear within our hearts that we have to set aside
Give remembrance to the cause and the ones who have died
The thunderstorm is rising and it cannot stay sedate
Kill the emptiness inside... life accelerate!

*We will look up at the light within the sky
As the wind comes down and wants to take us high
Through the changing atmosphere
Where we shall have no fear
Where the frozen ground is far beneath our feet
We will move along towards a brighter beat
'Till the day that we all die
We look into the sky

Track Name: Flowers for Mankind

Innocence! Ignorance! It's all the same!
Arrogance, with no sense! We play the game!

And if a force should wipe us out
I don't think I would care
Our kind is a dying breed
With a cross it cannot bear

*And in this moment I confide
I give you flowers, watch them die
Is there any hope for peace at all?
And in this moment I confide
You give me flowers, watch me die
Is there any hope for our kind?

Watch me die!

Consolation! Fall of nation! It's all the same!
Bureaucracy! Hypocrisy! We play the game!

And if the stars fall from the sky
My heart won't miss a beat
Enduring terror from ourselves
This life is no great feat

Enduring terror from ourselves

*And in this moment I confide
I give you flowers, watch them die
Is there any hope for peace at all?
And in this moment I confide
You give me flowers, watch me die
Is there any hope for our kind?

Flowers... for mankind...
Give me flowers for mankind... so I could die...
Give me flowers for mankind... so I could die!

*And in this moment I confide
I give you flowers, watch them die
Is there any hope for peace at all?
And in this moment I confide
You give me flowers, watch me die
Is there any hope for our kind?

Flowers for mankind

Track Name: Sunlight

I am alone
So far away from warmth and light
Illumination is so weak

I move on course
So many entities will bind me
In this cold and distant place

*Give me the light
I'm calling, I'm calling out
I need to believe
That one day it comes about
Sometimes I feel that the sun avoids me
Sometimes I feel that there's nothing left to see
This is my destiny

Although I'm strong
I'm feeling weaker every day
The warmth just passes me on by

I move on course
So slowly, nothing seems to change
In this cold and distant place

*Give me the light
I'm calling, I'm calling out
I need to believe
That one day it comes about
Give me the light
I'm falling, I'm falling here
I need to believe
That one day I will be near
Sometimes I feel that the sun avoids me
Sometimes I feel that there's nothing left to see
Sometimes I feel that the sun avoids me
Sometimes I feel that there's nothing left to see
This is my destiny

I feel that the sun avoids me
I feel there's nothing left to see
I feel that the sun avoids me
I feel there's nothing left to see

Track Name: The Final Note

You go out to face the world
An anti-angel, wings unfurled
You found what you think's a toy
Oh, the games you shall employ

She's beautiful in the dark
You dance with her, create a spark
She's so young and innocent
It's got to be, she's heaven-sent

This should not be all there is in your life
It is only illusion

*You want to dance forever
To have your fun together
But this is not enough
We all will die someday
You think you'll last forever
To be in love together
But this is not enough
We all will die someday

You wake up on Sunday morn'
To partake in bitter scorn
You rail against what you find odd
In the name of your God

Paying back your misery
'Cause absolution is never free
But now you're saved, so you can do
The awful things that you want to

This should not be all there is in your life
It is only illusion
You only have so many years in your life
Stop the holy confusion

*You want to live forever
To have your peace together
But this is not enough
We all will die someday
You think you'll last forever
To raise your souls together
But this is not enough
We all will die someday

Track Name: My Escape

I can't see where they are going
There's no truth in any face
I must survive, it's time to move on
I am planning my escape